Propelling mechanism



W. F. ULLRICHl PROPELUNG MECHANISNI FOR BOATS.

APPLICATION man Aumzl. |917. RENEWED MAR. 17,1919.

l ,329, 5 l l Patented Nov. 4, 1919.

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Egg-m 5 i i i w. F. UILIIICH.

PROPELLING MECHANISIVI FOR BOATS.

APPLICATION FILI-:D AuG.2I. I9I7. RENEwED MAR. 17,1919.

1,3205 l l K Patented Nov. 4, 1919.

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@ummm y f Ufff" ZZ Q W, Vr l Q j IT PROPELLING- IVIECI-IANISIVII FOR BOATS.

Specicaton of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 4, 1919.

Application led August 27, 1917, Serial No. 188,460. Renewed March 17, 1919. Serial No. 283,283.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAu F. ULLRIGH, citizen of the United States, residing at Warren, in the county of Warren and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Propelling Mechanism for Boats; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in propelling mechanism for vessels and the like.

The principal objects of myinvention are to provide a novel and improved propeller, an improved mounting therefor, and an improved driving means therefor An additional obj ect of the invention is to provide a novel construction of propeller mechanism of the character described, in which the parts of the driving gearing are fully protected from weeds and the like and in which most efficient power and utility is secured.

With these and other different objects in view which will appear from the description, the invention resides in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts, to be more fully hereinafter described and claimed and taken in connection with the accompanyinfr drawings which form a part of this specification and in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of the preferred form of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a central, vertical, longitudinal section thereof, on an enlarged scale.

Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the modified form of my invention.

Fig. 5 is a central vertical, longitudinal section thereof, on an enlarged scale.

Fig. 6 is a transverse vertical section on a line 6 6 of Fig. 5.

Briefly described, my invention comprises a tubular casing to be attached at one end, to a vessel. Rotatably mounted rings having propeller blades secured thereon, are positioned on the exterior of the casing and the drive shaft of the engine of the vessel is extended into the casing and is connected by means of suitable gearing with the rotatable r1ngs,.in such a manner as to oppositely rotate the rings.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated in detail certain approved forms of my invention, but it is to be understood that various changes and modifications may be made in the structure to be described herein as may fall within the scope of the invention as claimed. Therefore, I do not intend to limit myself to the specific construction and details employed and described.

No. l in the accompanying drawings designates a vessel at the stern of which is mounted a rearwardly extending tubular casing 2. The casing 2 is suitably secured to the vessel in any approved manner as desired, and is reduced throughout a portion of its length to its outer end to provide the shoulder 3 at its inner end. In this approved form of my invention the casing 2 is engaged over or mounted on a projecting portion 4L of the vessel and is suitably secured thereto. The outer end of the casing is closed by a removable plug 5, so that access may be readily obtained to the interior of the casing to reach the mechanism located therein as hereinafter described.

The engine driving shaft 6 is extended rearwardly projecting into the casing and is supported therein in a bearing 7 mounted on a bracket 8 extending transversely of the casing and secured at its ends to the walls thereof. A stulfing box 9 is provided at the rear of vessel for the shaft 6 where it enters the interior of the casing 2.

The upper portion of the casing 2 is provided with a transversely extending slot 10 and disposed in this slot, and extending slightly thereabove -is a pinion 11 keyed on to the driving shaft 6. On the reduced portion of the casing adjacent the shoulder 3 at the inner end thereof is a rotatably mounted ring 12 retained thereon by means of an annular retaining ring 13 threaded on the casing intermediate the ends thereof. The outer face of the ring 12 is disposed flush with the outer face of shoulder 3, and body of ring 12 is supported between the shoulder and retaining ring 13 in spaced relation from the outer surface of the casing 2, as clearly'illustrated in Fig. 2.

The opposed faces of the ring 12, shoulder 3 and retaining ring 13 are suitably recessed to receive annular series of ball bearings 14 for antifrictional mounting of the rings. Suitably secured to the outer face of ring 12 are propeller blades 15.

A second ring 16 is mounted on the reduced portion of the casing at the opposite side of the retaining ring 13 and supported between the retaining ring 13, and a retaining nut 17 disposed over theouter end of the casing. Ball bearings are provided as in the mounting of ring 12 and the propeller blades are secured to the outer faces of the rings as in the manner of construction of ring 12. The rings are designed to rotate in opposite directions and the propeller blades thereon are angled as illustrated in Fig. 1, so that the rearward thrust of the water from the face of the forward propeller will assist in the operation of the rearward propeller. The opposite faces of the propeller ringsv 12 and 16 are provided with bevel gears. At spaced intervals, disposed in mesh 'with these gears are pinions 18 loosely secured in the ring 13 by means of suitable spindles 19. The inner faces of the propeller rings are concaved longitudinally to provide bearing portions at the ends thereof and to also provide a construction whereby friction between the propeller rings and casing will be reduced in proportion.

The propeller ring 12 adjacent the vessel is provided with an annular series of internally disposed cogs 20 in alinement with the slot 10 and disposed in mesh with the pinion 11 for driving connection with the posed concentrically therein is a second driv-' propeller rings. It will' be seen that when the shaft is rotated, movement will be imparted through pinion 11 and annular gear.

ing 20, to the ring 12, which will in turn impart reverse movement to'ring 16 by means of pinion 18 as described. @wing to the construction of the inner faces of propeller bearing rings, and mounting of said rings between the retaining members and the.

shoulder of the casing, friction will be reduced; and, as the driving connection and gearing is disposed inthe interior of the casing, the only parts of the mechanism exposed will be the propeller blades. Whenever it is desired to gain access to the interior of the casing to adjust or clean gearing or other parts, the plug 5 may be readily removed when desired. In Figs.` 4, 5 and 6 I have illustrated a modified form of my invention, in which the general arrangement of parts is identical with the construction and location of the parts so illustrated in Figs. l, 2 and 3, but in the modied form the. driving shaft 6 is made hollow, and dising shaft 21 projecting rearwardly into the casing and hasa pinion 22`mounted on its Vhile in the foregoing description, I have specifically described the construction and operation of my propeller, I desire it to be understood, that minor changes may be j made within the scope ofthe invention as claimed.

I claim:

1. A propeller comprising a casing having an opening therethrough, propeller blades,

'a plurality of rotary elements extending around said casing and carrying said propeller blades, means within said casing and extending through said opening and operable to rotate one of said rotary elements in A one direction around said casing, and transmission gearing whereby the other of said rotary elements is rotated in the opposite direction.

2. A propeller comprising a tubular casing, rings disposed around said casing, propeller blades carried by said rings, an annular retaining and bearing member around and secured to said casing between the bladecarrying rings, bearing elements copera-- tive with said bearing and retaining member for rotatably Vsupporting said bladecarrying rings, and means extending outward from the interior of the casing and being operable to effect rotation of the bladecarrying rings.

3. A propeller comprising a tubular `casing, rings disposed around said casing, propeller blades carried by said rings, an annular retaining and bearing member around and secured to said casing between the bladecarrying rings, bearing elements coperative with said bearing and retaining member'for rotatably supporting said blade-carrying rings, and means disposed exteriorly of the casing and operatively connected with said rotary elements, whereby one of the rotary elements effects rotation of the other rotary element. f

4. The combination with a vessel of a tubular casing' attached thereto at one end and projecting therefrom and having openings therethrough, rings rotatably mounted on said casing, propeller blades onysaid rings, vthreaded on said casing to.v spacel said rings annular retaining members and provide supports therefor, ball bearing my hand in the presence of two subscribing Connections between said rings and members, witnesses.

and means in said easing and extending WILLIAM F. ULLRICH. through said openings and operable to oppo- Witnesses: 5 sitely rotate said rings. ROSE I-I. DAVIS,

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set JACOB A. JOHNSON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

